Folding cylinder having adjustable band construction



Nov. 11, 1969 F. NEAL ET AL 3,477,709

FOLDING CYLINDER HAVING ADJUSTABLE BAND CONSTRUCTION Filed March 20, 1967 akin FIG. 1

INVENTORS FRANK NEAL fin m ROBERT ASNYDFER 1714. ATT RNEYS United States Patent US. or. 270-71 7 j 4 claims ABSTRACT-0F THE DISCLOSURE Folding cylinder for a .page folder having adjustable circumferentially extending bandson the outer surface thereof to increase or decrease the effective circumference of the cylinder to accommodate variousnumber of pages being run through thefolder.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION.

This invention relates to a folder used in folding newspaper sections which are delivered from a former and more particularly to a folding cylinder having circumferentially extending slots on the outer surface thereof with an adjustable band in each said slot so that the effective circumference of the cylinder maybe readily changed to accommodate sections having a varying number of pages.

A 'difiiculty associated with conventional folding cylinders having adjustable bands is that the bands are usually held fixed at one end with the opposite end free to move in a track towards or away from the fixed end in order to expand or contract the band with respect to the surface of the cylinder. Such bands, however, instead of expanding or bending outwardly in a smooth circular arc, will instead flex into an S shape. We propose to overcome this difiiculty of uneven fiexure by providing a connection for the ends of each band so that the movement of the ends of the bands toward and away from each other will result in an even outward truly arcuate bow of the band.

In addition, we propose to provide a single adjustment means by which all of the'bands of a cylinder may be adjusted at one time. Also, we propose to provide for a means whereby each band may be individually expanded or contracted with respect to the surface of the cylinder and with respect to other hands. This adjustment allows the band contacting the folded edge of a section of broad sheet received from the former to be raised or lowered. Also, this construction allows the cylinder to be readily converted to fold regular size newspaper from tabloid size newspaper or vice versa.

Broadly, our invention comprises having a folding cylinder with a plurality of circumferentially extending slots on the outer periphery thereof with an adjustable band in each said slot. Each band is operatively connected to the cylinder by a hinge and with one end of the band being normally movable with respect to the other end to provide expansion and retraction movement of the band. Such construction assures that the band will bend in an even are when the hinge ends are moved circumferentially relative to each other. In addition, preferably all of the hinges which are connected to the normally movable ends of the bands are operatively joined to a single adjustment means whereby all of the bands may be made to expand or contract with respect to the cylinder simultaneously.

In addition, we propose to have each of the hinges of Patented Nov. 11, 1969 ice single rotatable shaft which extends parallel to the axis of the cylinder to provideacommon adjustment means. The hinges at the other normally fixed end of the bands are also operatively joined to the cylinder through screw means which may be individually manually adjusted so as to adjust each band with respect to other bands'and in order that the cylinder may be readily converted from folding regular size paper to tabloid size and vice versa.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a folder 1 having a folding cylinder 2 and a cutting cylinder 3 for receiving sections 4 of a newspaper from a former, not shown. The cutting cylinder 3 has conventional knives 5 thereon for cutting the sections 4 into page lengths. The folding cylinder 2 has thereon retractable conventional pins 6 for holding the sections onto the periphery of the folding cylinder and which may also be operated to collect sections. Retractable tucking blades, not shown, are contained within the folding cylinder to tuck sections of paper between the folding rolls 7 after the sections have been cut by the cutting knives.

The folding cylinder 2 has a plurality of circumferentially extending slots 10 on its outer periphery into each of which an adjustable band 11 is fitted as shown in FIG- URE 2. There are usually four such slots and bands extending axially across the length of the-cylinder although this number may be more or less depending upon the particular folding cylinder used. In addition, there are three axial extending lines of such slots and bands which are positioned radially with respect to each other between the pins 6.

Referring to FIGURE 3, band 11 is attached by means of screws 12 to a lever 13 at one end and to a lever 14 at the other end. Lever 13 in turn is mounted to pivot about a pin 13 carried by a block 15. Lever 13, pin 13' and block 15 together form a hinge 16 operatively connecting a first end of the band to the cylinder 2 in a normally circumferentially fixed position.

Lever 14, which is connected to the opposite and second end of the band, pivots about pin 14 carried by circumferentially slidable block 17. Lever 14, pin 14 and block 17 together form a second hinge 18 operatively connecting an end of the band to the cylinder 2..

Block 17 is mounted to slide in a track 19 carried by the bracket 20 which is held to the cylinder 2 by screws 21. A screw 22 is threaded into block 17 so that as the screw is rotated, the block 17 is caused to slide within the track 19 and in a circumferential direction with respect to hinge 16. Movement of the block 17 towards hinge 16 causes the band 11 to bow or expand outwardly thus effectively increasing the outer circumference of the cylinder 2, whereas movement of the block 17 away from the hinge 16, causes the band to move inwardly to contract the band and thus effectively decrease the circumference of the cylinder.

Block 15 is adapted to slide within a track 25 formed by the bracket 26 held to the cylinder by screws 27 and 28. Individual manual adjustment of the band 11 is provided by having a screw 29 which is threaded into the cylinder 2 and which passes through the block 15. It is seen that by rotation of the screw 29, the position of the block with respect to cylinder 2 may be adjusted. Nut 30 is held in place on screw 29 by cotter pin 31 and serves as a headby which the screw 29 may be turned. A locking screw 32 engages a face of the nut 30 to lock the screw 29 into place.

Adjustment of the hinge 16 with respect to the block 2 allows the band 11 to be moved with respect to the cylinder 2 independently of the remaining bands. Such adjustment is desirable in assembling the folding cylinder in order to accommodate variations in manufacturing tolerances. Also, it is often desirable to provide independent adjustment of a band to accommodate the fold of a sec tion of paper as it is received from a former, it usually being desirable to have the band contacting the fold contracted or lowered with respect to the other bands. Further, independent adjustment of the bands allows ready conversion of the folding cylinder so that it may be used to fold either regular size newspaper sections or tabloid size.

Indices 35 may be provided on the surface of the cylinder which, with an indice line 36 on a band, may assist to provide convenient visual setting of the band.

Uniform adjustment of all the bands to accommodate sections of paper having varying numbers of pages is provided by connecting all of the screws 22 associated with the hinges 18 which are in an axial line to a common adjustment shaft 40 extending parallel to the folding cylinder and which engage the screws by means of intermeshing bevel gears 41 and 43. Shaft 40 in turn is connected with other similar shafts by means of a chain drive 42 engaging sprockets 43 on the end of the shafts with the sprockets and chain being positioned on the outer end of the cylinder. One sprocket is adapted to be engaged by a wrench such that rotation of that sprocket will in turn rotate the remaining sprockets and shafts so giving simultaneous adjustment to all of the bands mounted on the cylinder.

It is seen that a cylinder construction according to the invention has the further advantage in that the adjustment mechanism may be completely encased within the folding cylinder by the bands. This minimizes paper dust from entering the cylinder which could have a deleterious effect on the adjustment mechanism as well as the pin and tuft blade actuating mechanisms contained within the cylinder.

While we have illustrated a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is obvious that structural changes could be made and still come within the scope of our invention which is defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A folding cylinder for use in a folder where said cylinder has a plurality of circumferentially extending slots on the outer surface thereof, an adjustable band in each said slot with each said band having a first normally circumferentially fixed end connected to said cylinder and a second normally, circumferentially movable end, and adjustment means for connecting said second end to said cylinder and for moving said second end of the band substantially circumferentially relativeto said first end to cause the band to expand and retract with respect to the outer surface of the cylinder; the improvement which comprises having each said first and second ends operatively joined to said cylinder by a hinge with the hinge for each of said second ends being mounted on said adjustment means.

2. A folding cylinder according to claim 1 wherein the improvement comprises in addition having the hinges connected to said second ends all operatively connected to said adjustment means whereby actuation of said adjustment means moves all of said second ends of said bands simultaneously.

3. A folding cylinder according to claim 1 wherei the improvement comprises in addition having all of the hinges operatively connected to the cylinder through screws with the screws connected with the hinges on the second end of said bands in an axial line all connected with a single shaft extending parallel to the axis of the folding cylinder whereby rotation of said shaft causes said second ends to move circumferentially with respect to said first ends,

4. A folding cylinder according to claim 3 wherein the improvement comprises in addition having the screws connected with the hinges on said first ends of the bands being individually rotatable with respect to one another whereby each said band may be expanded and retracted with respect to the other bands and with respect to the outer surface of the cylinder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,976,853 10/1934 Condquist et al 27077 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,393,079 11/1965 France.

1,132,564 8/1961 Germany.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner P. V. WILLIAMS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 27077 

